The wait has been more than long enough for new material (a full album’s worth!) from Péroké, the duo of Fred Guillon and Sylvain Rousselle from Tours, France. Their last release was the EP Voodoo You Think You Are !? In 2018, and it was an absolute killer, flaunting the ass-kicking vitality of the pair’s sturdy, electro-centric interpretation of Afrobeat, Ethiopian jazz-funk and a bit of glittery Bollywood filmi. Péroké have spread their wings a bit more this time, weaving in some tracks that reach beyond the formula of xylophonic African beats and eerie Eastern scales–there are hints of Italian giallo horror-synth sounds, and closer “The Void” has a grand, retro sci-fi feel, that particular space-rock vibe the French excel at. While the album is mostly instrumental, two tracks bring in, and benefit greatly from, guest singers. “Yabaah”, with Hend Elrawy and Anissa Bensalah, is a tasty midtempo shuffler, while the Indian-flavoured “Jag Jangaal” marks the return of Tulika Srivastava, whose expressive singing helped put “Saajan Ki Motor-Cycle”, the standout jam from the 2018 EP, right over the top.
